Interpretive Summary: The indiangrass cultivars Warrior. Scout, and Chief were developed cooperatively by USDA-ARS and the University of Nebraska and were released in 2008 for use in the Great Plains and the Midwest USA in forage-livestock production systems. Indiangrass, Sorghastrum nutans, is a tall prairie grass native to the USA. Warrior is adapted to USDA Plant Hardiness Zone (HZ) 5 and the upper part of HZ 6 in the Great Plains and Midwest. It produces forage with high in vitro dry matter digestibility (IVDMD) that results in improved animal gains when utilized by beef cattle in well managed grazing systems in regions where it is adapted. Scout is adapted to HZ 5 in the Great Plains and Midwest, USA and potentially other regions where it has not been tested to date. It produces significantly greater forage yields than other adapted indiangrass cultivars when grown for hay in the western part of its adaptation region. Chief is adapted to HZ 4 and the upper half of HZ 5. It produces significantly greater forage yields than the other available HZ 4 cultivars. In the regions where they are adapted, these cultivars also could be used with other grasses in multi-species mixtures to produce biomass for bioenergy.

Technical Abstract:
‘Warrior’ ( PI 655523), ‘Scout’ (PI 655524), and ‘Chief’ ( PI 6555253) indiangrass [Sorghastrum nutans (L.)] Nash were developed cooperatively by USDA-ARS and the University of Nebraska and were released in 2008 for use in the Great Plains and the Midwest USA in forage-livestock production systems. Warrior is adapted to USDA Plant Hardiness Zone (HZ) 5 and the upper part of HZ 6 in the Great Plains and Midwest. It produces forage with high in vitro dry matter digestibility (IVDMD) that results in improved animal gains when utilized by beef cattle in well managed grazing systems in regions where it is adapted. Scout is adapted to HZ 5 in the Great Plains and Midwest, USA and potentially other regions where it has not been tested to date. It produces significantly greater forage yields than other adapted indiangrass cultivars when grown for hay in the western part of its adaptation region. Chief is adapted to HZ 4 and the upper half of HZ 5. It produces significantly greater forage yields than the other available HZ 4 cultivars. In the regions where they are adapted, these cultivars also could be used with other grasses in multi-species mixtures to produce biomass for bioenergy.